The Small Moments
by badcaricatures
Summary: He still remembers the first time he saw her. It was the second week of freshman year and he was thinking about how to fix the living room fan at home. /A collection of one-shots featuring Gwen and Peter/
1. Beginning

He still remembers the first time he saw her- it was the second week of freshman year and he was walking through the halls, thinking about how best to fix the fan in the living room at home.

He had stopped to get a drink of water from the fountain, but as he waited, he glanced past the large doors that led out to the cafeteria courtyard.

There was a girl leaning up against a tree, a thick textbook lying open in her hands, with her eyes skimming feverishly over the pages. As he watched, she reached up to tuck a strand of blonde hair that had fallen out of her ponytail behind an ear, then flipped a page, mouthing words to herself. She was the only one doing so- the weather was beautiful and the rest of the students were milling about, talking and laughing during the seven-minute passing period.

Intrigued, Peter forgot about the water and moved closer to the door. He could barely make out the words on the cover- something about pre-calculus and the integration of physics- before he really _looked_ at her- really sized her up.

He didn't know who she was (they most definitely didn't have any classes together) but there was no denying that she was the prettiest girl he had seen at Midtown. Whoever she was, she had short blonde hair and large, large eyes and she was so slender he thought a gust of air might just break her in half. She was wearing a dark purple skirt and black thigh-high socks that ended just before they met the hem, revealing a tantalizing strip of pale white skin, and her blouse was open at the throat, the buttons flapping a little in the wind.

As he looked, she snapped the book shut, muttering to herself and turned around, bending over to place it in her bag. Peter felt his mouth go dry as the skirt lifted, revealing more skin, and shook his head, dazed. He couldn't help himself- he reached out to open the door- drink all but forgotten-but he bumped into a tall boy with a crew cut and a green jacket.

"What the fuck, man," The boy said, turning around.

Peter barely glanced at him, his hand on the door.

"I _said,_ what the _fuck_," The boy reached out and grabbed him by the shoulder, whirling him around. Peter tried to take a step back, but the boy held firm, anger evident in his eyes. "What's your name, asshole?"

Peter looked out at the girl- she was finishing packing up and about to leave- and turned back, hastily saying, "Parker. Peter Parker."

"Parker, Peter Parker," The boy mocked, shoving him backwards. "Well, Puny Parker, haven't you ever learned any manners? You're not- supposed- to- push- people!" He punctuated each word with a shove, eventually sending him crashing back into a row of lockers.

Wincing, Peter tried to shake it off, keeping his head low and attempting to push past the boy he would eventually know as Flash Thompson, but Flash was having too much fun and a crowd was gathering, attracted to the promise of a fight.

In the end (after a few weak half-thrown punches on his part and several well aimed ones by Flash), he missed the girl and went to his next class with bruised ribs and the imprint of a locker grill on his back. He waited around the courtyard for the rest of the week but never saw her, and reluctantly figured it was probably a good thing (most of the school knew how Flash beat the shit out of him, and that was never a promising start to a relationship).

But he did ask around about her for a week until he knew her name, that she was also a freshman, that her father was a cop and that she was supposedly the smartest kid in his class.

It was actually a month later that he saw her again- he was late heading home after school and happened to skate by a certain classroom on his way out when he caught a glimpse of that same blonde hair and he jumped straight off the board, paying no attention as it went careening into a wall. She was giving some sort of speech to a group of students- and with a start, he realized it was the debate club.

He waited outside the classroom, listening to her speak, and when she finished, everyone clapped and started to gather up their things. Suddenly, a tiny Asian girl appeared before him, shouldering a backpack and looking at him questioningly.

"Are you from the photography club?" She asked.

"What?" He replied intelligently.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Are you not here to take photos? Because if you aren't, you can't hang around our meetings. This stuff is classified! Can you imagine what would happen if our points and strategies were leaked out to other teams in the area? Are you a spy? Ohmygod, are you spying on us for a different high school?" Her voice had risen in volume and pitch, and in an attempt to shut her up, Peter panicked.

"Yes, yes, I'm the photographer! I am, okay? Not a spy, not a spy!"

"Oh. Great." She relaxed, holding out a hand. "I'm May. Nice to meet you. We're wrapping up for today so I doubt you'll be able to do much- but if you want to come back next week?"

"Sure, sure," Peter said, rubbing the back of his head. "Next week. I'll be here."

"Great," She repeated, smiling. "We'll see you then."

Nodding quickly, Peter took off, scooping up his skateboard on the way. He felt light as a bird- next week! He was going to see her next week- and possibly introduce himself, maybe talk to her, maybe get her number- the only snag was the camera.

Well, whatever. That was easy enough- he had money saved up and Uncle Ben was good with these things- they could pick out one easily. He'd have to join the photography club too, but it wouldn't be a problem, extracurriculars were good for college apps...

As he skated home, Peter grinned to himself.

This was shaping up to be the start of a very good year.

* * *

**Hello everyone! I am a huge, huge fan of the Peter/Gwen relationship thing and I loved the idea of exploring the small scenes and incidents that likely happened between them that weren't explored in the movies- so this little fic was born :) I intend to continue writing one-shots between them and posting them as follow up chapters- and a few will definitely live up to the T rating (perhaps even M, if it gets that far).**

**Anyway, I'd love any feedback you have, reviews make me very happy haha. **

**Thanks, **

**-BC **


	2. Official

It was late and all Peter wanted to do was go home and pass out on his bed.

He was tired and sore from a bruising he had taken from a thug in a back alley- he had been overconfident and completely failed to realize said thug had another thuggish friend behind him who ended up whacking Peter on the head with an iron bar- so all he really wanted to do was knock out.

Unfortunately, when he arrived home, Aunt May was already asleep, doors locked and windows bolted shut (even the ones in his room- her paranoia after Ben's death was trending towards the extreme) and he had no way in without waking her. Groaning to himself, Peter rested his head against the window to his room, the cool glass soothing one of the welts that was forming under his eye.

He stayed like that for a long moment, his mind flipping through the possibilities- he could always sleep outside on the roof, but it wasn't a comforting thought and he was almost out of webbing anyway (not enough left to make a decent hammock). He could sneak into a hotel- but if he overslept (which seemed like a very real possibility) then Aunt May would find out he hadn't been home all night. He went through several other ideas, quickly discarding each of them, when his mind landed on one option which seemed like the best he would get at 1 a.m. So Peter got up and loped away, waiting until he was out of sight of the neighborhood before daring to use the surrounding buildings as crutches for his webs.

Fifteen minutes later he was on Gwen's fire escape, more exhausted than he felt he had ever been in his life. He glanced into her room and noted that she was on her laptop, editing an English report that was (he realized with a sinking heart) undoubtedly due tomorrow.

He didn't make a sound for a few minutes- content just to watch her. Her hair was pulled back in its traditional ponytail, and her eyes were, as always, intent upon what she was doing. Her fingers flew over the keyboard. and at one point she stretched out, the hem of her white nightgown rising a little. However, it was as she was stretching that she flopped her head back over the chair, rubbing her neck, eyes drifting lazily shut then opening again, focusing on her window.

So that was when she saw him- upside down and snickering to himself as she shrieked, tumbling up out of her chair then slapping a hand over her mouth in horror.

They were both absolutely still for a moment, listening- but the apartment didn't stir so she quickly leaned over and pulled the window up, grabbing him by his coat collar and hauling him inside.

"You are a terrible person," Gwen told him severely, crossing her arms. She had a rather unpitying expression on her face when he flopped on her bed with an exaggerated yawn.

"Sorry," He grinned. When she looked unmoved, he reached over and tugged her to him, pulling her down on the bed and laying a kiss on the side of her neck.

She turned away, clearly still peeved.

"Aw, come on," He said, jiggling her a little in his arms. "Don't stay mad. I couldn't help it, I'm tired and you just looked so- so -you know."

She turned to face him, eyes narrowed. "Looked so what, exactly?" It was clear by her tone that whatever he had been about to say would not be appreciated this late at night so he wisely changed course.

"Looked so beautiful. Obviously." He said instead, knocking his forehead against hers.

Her expression wavered for a moment and then gave in at his tentative smile and she grinned as she snuggled in to him, her thin arms encircling his chest. She sighed a little as she got comfortable, face pressed firmly into his chest and he kissed the top of her forehead as they settled in.

They stayed like that for a while- the genius girl and the boy vigilante- simply holding each other, content to feel the other so near.

"Are you staying here tonight?" Gwen eventually asked.

"Mhmm," He replied, yawning. "Got home too late. Aunt May had already shut down the house- she thought I was inside, asleep."

"You've got to stop making this a habit," She laughed, shoving him a little. "If my dad ever walks in..."

"If your dad ever walks in, you won't have a boyfriend anymore." He said with a half-grin.

"Oh, is that what you are?" She asked playfully. "My boyfriend?"

"Well, yeah," He replied, caught off guard. "Aren't I? I mean, I am, right? I mean-"

"Oh, shut up," Gwen replied, and kissed him.

Her lips were soft and warm, and he could feel himself falling into it, the kiss slow and languid. She tasted sweet- like chocolate and something else that was entirely Gwen. They kissed for a long time- taking the time to know each other, to feel each other and every time he drew away he was lightheaded from the sheer feeling of it all.

Eventually, their kisses turned hot and fevered, the intensity between them building. He ran his hands down her arms, up her sides, one hand eventually coming up to cup her face. She gasped into his mouth when two of his fingers slipped beneath the hem of her nightgown, tracing patterns on the skin of her thigh, and she began to kiss him harder, all softness forgotten They were both panting every time they broke away. Her body was pressed tightly against his but it wasn't enough so he pulled her closer, tugging her, molding her against him until she was straddling him and he was kissing her neck and she was making these little noises that he knew he would never get out of his head-

-and then she pushed him away, clambering off of him to sit on the opposite side of the bed.

They both looked at each other for a moment, breathing heavily, and then he laughed a little.

"Too much?"

"Too much," She agreed, her mouth quirking in a smile.

They waited a while until they deemed it safe to hold each other again, and she crept into his arms, head resting on his chest.

Eventually, Peter could feel himself nodding off, his arms falling from where they held Gwen, so she carefully slipped out from under him as he fell asleep.

It was her turn to look at him- to look at his messy hair and angled nose and the taut lines of his muscles under his shirt- and the fierce, protective feeling that rose in her chest almost overwhelmed her in its intensity.

She smoothed the hair off his forehead, checked to make sure the door to her bedroom was firmly shut and kissed him again, her lips lingering on his. He mumbled something sleepily, eyes still shut, and reached out a hand to her. She held it against her cheek for a moment before gently letting go. He made a discontented noise but slumber quickly overtook him once more and he sprawled out, gangly limbs taking up most of the bed.

Gwen laughed to herself, watching him- Peter Parker, Spiderman- drooling a little on her coverlet as he slept.

Then she returned to her computer and began to type.

* * *

**Second chapter, yay! I wanted to do the scene where they became official- where they discussed being boyfriend and girlfriend for the first time. I hope I did it justice! The hardest part is trying to figure out what they would actually say and then coming up with the imagery to portray it in words. I have the scene so perfectly in my mind but translating it to paper is more difficult :( **

**If you have any suggestions (or any particular scene that you would enjoy reading about) please let me know. **

**I love your reviews- thanks so much!**

**-BC **


	3. Jealousy

He was on the second floor of the high school- walking past the organic chemistry labs and the water fountain- when he saw them.

It looked innocent enough: she was leaning back against a row of lockers, holding a pair of books to her chest and laughing, while he (whoever _he_ was) had a forearm up against the metal, his body close to hers. It wasn't anything suspicious, it wasn't even remotely questionable, but Peter felt adrenaline rush through his system, much like it did right before he entered a fight.

Because she was _laughing_.

And it wasn't just any old type of laughter either- it was the kind she used around him, around Peter, the kind she used when she thought his joke was stupid but she really, really wanted to kiss him so she put up with his lameness anyway.

And she was laughing like that for _him_.

Peter could feel his teeth clenching. He wanted nothing more than to march right over to that jackass and punch him so hard that he would go crashing through the school's brick wall. He wanted to threaten him, warn him that looking at Gwen the way he was right now was a surefire way to receive a black eye. He wanted to tell him to stay the fuck away from Gwen- because she's his, she's Peter's, and nobody is allowed to talk to her like that, nobody is allowed to make her laugh or smile and look shyly down at her feet like he is right now.

But he can't.

He can't because she isn't his- she's not, not anymore.

And the reason why is because he's a stupid, stupid man and he left her because of her father and those promises and it makes him burn inside, it really does, because he wants nothing more than to grab her by the waist and kiss her so hard and deep that she can't think straight for the rest of the day. He wants to catch her and swing her into an unused classroom and hear her laugh as she tells him that they'll get caught- and hear the sigh she'll make when he kisses that spot on the side of her neck that makes her melt.

He wants to take her hand and walk through the halls, and he wants to sit behind her in class and tug on her hair to distract her, and he wants to sneak into her room in the middle of the night, and he wants to just be with her.

He wants to love her.

He wants the freedom to just love her.

But these are dangerous thoughts he's thinking because they always lead him down worse and worse paths until he can't think of anything but her- and then he starts forgetting about his promise and he thinks that maybe it wouldn't be that bad- it's not like she'll ever be there when he's fighting- it's not like she'll ever be caught up in his messes.

But then he reminds himself that she'll always be there- because that's who she is, she's Gwen, she's her father's daughter through and through, and that means that she will never back down from a fight.

That means that she'll get hurt.

Peter doesn't realize that he's clenching his fist so hard around the water fountain basin that the metal has bent to the shape of his hand. He only notices when Gwen's green eyes flick over to him and she stiffens, eyes zeroing in on the crumpled aluminum.

"Shit," He curses to himself, letting go of the metal and making sure nobody has noticed. He glances over at her but she has turned firmly around, her back to him in a gesture of defiance. He kicks the fountain half-heartedly, annoyed with himself and her and turns to go.

It's as if she senses this- because it's as he's leaving that she laughs (a little too loudly, a little too glibly) and places one of her hands on the guy's bicep (which admittedly is much larger than his own).

He comes to a standstill and watches them- he hears him ask her out and he sees her smile and agree and the two of them make plans to meet at an Indian restaurant off Broadway at seven- and when the guy leaves, he watches Gwen open her locker and place her books in, exchanging them for different ones.

When she walks by him as the bell rings, she is stiff and she ignores him.

When she enters a classroom, a smile lights up her face as the door swings shut behind her.

And he lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding, shoulders his backpack, and walks away.

* * *

**So I know perfectly well that in the comics, Peter ends up with Mary Jane- that he's happy with her and loves her and yadayadayada. But I have some serious issue with this- I cannot STAND reading fics that end up with Peter and Mary Jane. It genuinely kills me inside. I just read a fantastic fic that ended up in three segments (and at the end of the last one, Peter ends up with MJ after Gwen's death) and I just felt incredibly disloyal and annoyed and sad. **

**I think this might actually become my OTP. Goodbye James and Lily, hello Peter and Gwen. Never thought I'd see the day haha. **

**Anyway, I'll end my rant. I love your reviews! They make me want to write more, just to see what y'all will say next. **

**Thanks for reading!**

**-BC **


	4. Mornings

He thought she looked best when she woke up in the mornings.

Her legs would be tangled with his and her arms were always in the same position- one under her pillow, supporting her head, and the other curled up near her neck, fingers bent and relaxed.

Her hair was always a mess, the carefully tied braid she slept with in disarray, and when she opened her eyes she frowned, with one corner of her mouth going just a little lower than the other.

She didn't really have a set nightgown or pajama pair. She usually knocked out in whatever was comfortable; in whatever was within easy reach of the work she was normally doing at three a.m.- and the difference in clothing was mildly exciting to him. Sometimes he could trace patterns on her stomach by lifting her shirt, tickling her until she punched him so she could sleep, and sometimes his fingers danced along the skin of her thighs, inching farther and farther upwards until she grinned into his neck and clamped her legs down hard.

Either way, no matter what she wore or the little string of drool that inevitably came from her mouth, Peter Parker knew that Gwen Stacy looked best when she woke up in the mornings.

She, of course, heartily disagreed.

They talked about it once.

Gwen had been annoyed, pushing the glasses she had been wearing farther up on her nose and gesticulating wildly. She brought his attention to the dress she had worn three weeks ago on a date- it had been black, with a plunging neckline, and had clung to her body like a second skin. She had worn towering heels and her hair was loose and framing her face and Peter had forgotten how to speak when he saw her (both at the time and presently, remembering the curves of her body the dress had outlined).

Gwen had grinned, quite smug in her victory, until Peter had tugged her close, combing his fingers through her hair, and told her what, exactly, he found so beautiful about her in the morning.

It was partly her innocence. When she slept, all the worries and troubles that plagued her throughout the day vanished, her face smoothing out and relaxing. As she woke up- during those first few moments- she kept that look, yawning and stretching.

It was also her body- the way she fit into him so perfectly, the curve of her spine nestling against him as if they were two pieces of the same puzzle, finally together to make a whole picture.

And part of it was the drool- she punched him again for this- because c'mon, wasn't it the cutest (and the most disgusting, really) thing ever?

After he had finished his list, Gwen laughed and snuggled in closer, moving his arms until they formed a safe barrier around her. She also concluded- rather reluctantly- that perhaps he had a point. He was entitled to his own opinion, after all.

Peter paused for a moment.

Thought about it.

And then told her that while he definitely loved the way she looked in the morning…he wouldn't mind at all if she decided to go put on that dress again.

Like, right now.

She laughed and he kissed her nose and he thought about adding another few reasons to his list- like how her shirt would ride up just a little, or the way she'd say his name right as she woke- but really, if he started he'd never stop. So he just kissed her again and let it go.

* * *

**I wanted to write something fluffy after the depressing one-shot I posted earlier. So...fluff! **

**Anyway, reviews are very much appreciated :) **

**-BC**


	5. Competition

If there was one thing that Peter Parker considered himself, it was competitive.

He loved to excel at things- whether that meant school, athletics, science fairs, finishing first in a spaghetti eating contest- Peter _had to win_. It wasn't that he liked to beat other people or anything- it had more to do with the fact that he hated losing. So if he won…. obviously someone else had to lose.

Honestly, he covered it up pretty well- he didn't have many friends at school those first couple of years, so he really only competed against Uncle Ben (Aunt May refused to take part in their 'childish competitions'). They would race and play chess and occasionally arm wrestle. And Peter did pretty well, barring the fact that Ben was in his sixties.

Of course, that was all before he met Gwen Stacy.

Gwen.

_Gwen_.

She was competitive like nobody he had ever seen before (thank god).

She refused to give an _inch_- regardless of how much she had to give up to win. Of course, she hid it relatively well for the first couple months of their relationship. It started out so small he barely noticed- the way she'd study a little harder for the classes they shared, or lick up the drippings of ice cream faster than he would up a cone.

Then it got big.

Because then- then came the _game_.

/

If Peter had to say, he would claim it started in fifth period English. Everyone was partnered off for a paired assignment and he had ended up with Roger Buckley, star of Midland's baseball team. Gwen was with Faith Adams, a loudmouthed, bubble-gum-popping princess (her father worked on Oscorp's executive board). The four of them colluded for the most part, figuring out answers quicker than they would have alone.

They were about halfway down the page when trouble struck in the form of Faith Adams large, utterly unstoppable mouth.

"It sucks that bubble gum only keeps its flavor for like, thirty seconds," Faith said conversationally, chewing on her piece.

"Mhmm," Peter mumbled, skimming the page he was on.

Glancing around and seeing that nobody was paying any attention to her, Faith popped her gum several times in succession, grinning at their startled faces as they looked up at her.

"Don't you think it sucks?" She smiled sweetly.

"Well…." Roger said hesitantly, looking at Gwen and Peter (both of whom were now wearing distinctly annoyed expressions). "I guess. I mean, I wish they would last a bit longer."

"Exactly!" Faith said, pointing a long, manicured nail at him. "It sucks! Someone should invent gum that lasts longer."

"It's not like it's hard," Peter said irritably. "The only reason it doesn't keep its flavor is so that companies can make profit- the quicker the taste fades, the more you buy, and the greater their revenue for the quarter is."

Faith raised one shapely eyebrow at him. "Oh really?"

"Yes." Peter said shortly.

"Well, what do you think Gwennie?" Faith said, her voice saccharinely sweet as she turned to Gwen.

Sighing a little, Gwen agreed. "Yes, I agree with Peter. It shouldn't be difficult."

"Mmm," Faith said, eyes glancing between the two of them. She popped her gum again.

"Could you stop that?" Peter asked irritably.

"No." Faith replied. "But I would…I would never ever pop my gum- around you of course- again, if you could make me a piece that kept its flavor for more than thirty seconds."

Peter looked at her in astonishment. "Why the hell would I do that?"

Faith shrugged, bringing one of her hands up to brush away the fringe surrounding her heart-shaped face. "Just cause. Do you have anything better to do?"

Peter opened his mouth in indignation, but Gwen beat him to it.

"Let's do it!" She said.

"What. Why?" Peter asked, looking at Gwen incredulously.

"Oh, no reason," She said, shrugging innocently. "It just be fun to see who could make the…better gum."

Peter's competitive spirit kicked in. "Oh really? You think you could do a better job than I could?"

"Hands down," She replied, a corner of her mouth tilting upwards.

"I _really_ wouldn't count on that," Peter stressed, leaning back in his chair.

"Scared?" Gwen grinned. "Aww, is wittle Peter Parker scwared of big Gwen Stacy?"

Peter's eyes narrowed.

Roger and Faith were watching the two as if they were a tennis match- heads turning at each reply.

"Fine. Fine, lets do it." Peter said, bringing his hands down to slam loudly against the desk. "Friday. Let's see who's come up with the longer lasting gum by Friday."

"Uh, isn't that in like, two days?" Roger interjected. "Will you two have time?"

"Shut up, Roger," Gwen said, not even glancing in his direction. "And okay. Friday it is- we'll test it out after school."

"Faith will be our judge," Peter agreed.

"And Roger will referee!" Faith said, clapping her hands delightedly. "Oh, this is perfect!"

/

Except that it wasn't.

It was already late Thursday night and Peter still didn't have a decent prototype. Of course, it seemed relatively simple- on paper and in theory. But then whenever he tried to actually get the flavoring and the sticky sap gum to mix, the flavoring never quite, well….stuck.

It was agonizing.

He kept picturing Gwen's smug face the next day when she showed up with a perfectly sliced, timed, and wrapped piece of gum and he groaned to himself, head in his hands.

Until he had an idea.

It was pretty stupid- honestly, he figured it was kind of cheating- but at this point, what did he have to lose, right?

So Peter got to work.

/

The next day, Peter caught Gwen's eye in the hall and mouthed, "Ready?" to her.

She sniffed and turned away.

He noticed that she had bags under her eyes and that she had (for once) dressed rather sloppily.

He grinned to himself and sauntered away.

/

"Alright," Faith said, sitting on the bleachers outside the baseball field. "I'm totally ready. Gimme." She wiggled in anticipation, hands held out.

"Uh, I think we should lay out the guidelines first," Roger said nervously, eyeing Gwen and Peter who were sitting on opposite ends of a bleacher, neither looking at the other.

"So, I've got Coach's timer here- Faith will chew the gum right when I start it and when the flavor's gone, she'll signal me and I'll stop it. Whoever has the longest lasting gum wins. Sounds good?" Roger asked placatingly.

"Yeah," Peter said. Gwen gave a sharp nod.

"Whatever," Faith rolled her eyes. "Just give me the gum."

Roger held the two pieces behind his back and switched them around then carefully handed Faith one wrapped piece. She popped it in her mouth and waited expectantly.

"And…go!" Roger called.

Faith set to work immediately.

Really, it was rather astonishing, Peter mused to himself. Faith could do almost anything with gum- she was blowing small bubbles, large bubbles, bubbles out of the corner of her mouth, popping the gum, squeezing it out between her teeth- he half expected her to blow some balloon animals next.

"Done!" Faith cried, a short while later.

"That's exactly 48.17 seconds!" Roger exclaimed. "It looks like that'll be hard to beat."

Gwen shot a smug look at Peter. He just grinned and put his hands behind his head, leaning back.

The second piece started out a little differently-

"Wow, this one tastes amazing!" Faith yelled, chewing furiously. "Like…like berries and mint and something else I can't place!"

"The contest is which one lasts longer, not which one tastes better!" Gwen reminded her, gripping the edge of the bleachers.

"I know, I know," Faith rolled her eyes again.

The time ticked on. It had definitely been over 48.17 seconds….hadn't it?

All of a sudden, Peter wasn't so sure.

Then- "Done!" Faith called.

"And that would be….one minute, and a little over twelve seconds!" Roger cried, holding out the timer. "The winner is Peter Parker!"

"Yes!" Peter pumped his fist into the air. He turned to Gwen, grinning- but she was sitting absolutely still, her eyes huge and- shit, was she going to cry?

"Oh no," Faith murmured, looking at her.

"Wait, no, Gwen-" Peter fumbled, rushing over to her. He knelt next to her, but she turned away, sniffling. "Gwen, don't cry."

"I'm not," She sniffled, brushing away tears. "But I don't understand. I did everything right!"

Peter couldn't keep the grin off his face. "I'm sure you did."

Gwen's eyes narrowed. She searched his face. Then she jumped to her feet. "He cheated!" She shouted, pointing at Peter. She glared daggers in his direction.

"Sorry, Gwen," Roger said apologetically. "The timer never lies."

"No, he did! I can see it on his face!" Gwen had a slightly maniacal glint in her eye, and all of a sudden Peter was rather afraid for his safety. He considered jumping to the top of the bleachers Spiderman style- then remembered that would probably raise some questions.

"Okay, okay," Peter said placatingly, palms held out. "I didn't cheat, exactly. But, well….that may or may not be gum that I bought from the 7-11 down on fifty-second."

There was dead silence for a moment.

Then Gwen was on top of him, hitting him wherever she could reach.

"You- asshole-" She grunted as he laughed, easily fending her off. "I-spent-all-damn-_night_-working-on-that-thing-"

Peter was doubled over laughing until Gwen managed to get a lucky shot in the stomach. "Shit," He swore, bending over.

Gwen was instantly contrite, leaning over him. "Are you okay? I'm so sorry Peter, I didn't mean to actually hurt you!"

"It's fine," He groaned. "I think I need to lie down though."

"I'll take you to the nurse," Gwen said worriedly, helping him up. "But you know- you totally cheated."

"The rules never said that I couldn't do that," Peter managed to say as they limped off.

"There were no rules!" She exclaimed.

"Exactly!"

The doors to the school shut behind them.

"They are freaking bizarre." Faith said after a moment.

"Yeah," Roger agreed, staring after them.

"Whatever." Faith said, shaking her head. "Do you have any more of that gum left?"

* * *

**Sorry for the long wait between chapters! But I hope this extra long one makes up for it? :) **

**-BC**


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